Senior Quinton Young and his St. Cloud Cathedral teammates came into Friday searching for their first win since the 2014 season.

And with the way things started out, it looked like that search might continue.

But the Crusaders were able to overcome a nightmare first half and rally to beat Foley 28-27 in overtime at Husky Stadium.

"It just feels amazing right now," said Young, who threw for 222 yards and a touchdown while rushing for two more.

"We played like a family in that second half, not just a team. Everybody pulled together and got the job done. We really got things turned around."

Things were badly in need of turning. Cathedral (1-2) has been knocking on the door the first two weeks, falling 9-7 at Holy Family in the season opener and 21-20 at Albany last week.

But the Crusaders struggled in a first half Friday that saw them turn the ball over on four-straight plays from scrimmage, and allow a blocked field goal to be returned for a touchdown as time expired before halftime.

"I'm not sure if we expected them to be as physical as they were in the first half," said senior running back Kendrick Hernandez, who rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown. "They sort of set the tone up front. They came out with a lot of energy."

The damage could have been much worse. The Falcons (1-2) turned the ball over on downs in Cathedral territory four times in the first half.

"Our defense has played well this season," Crusaders coach Mark Chamernick said. "They've kept us in every game."

Cathedral drove the ball deep into Foley territory at the end of the first half. But the field goal attempt was blocked and returned 82 yards for a touchdown by Foley senior Hunter Beehler to put the Falcons up 21-0 at halftime.

However, the Crusaders started the second half with a six-play, 63-yard drive capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass from Young to junior Mitchell Plombon.

"We just came out ready to rumble in the second half," Hernandez said. "I think we were asleep in the first half. We woke up after halftime."

Young then scored on a 4-yard touchdown run on his team's next possession to cut the gap to 21-14. And that's how things remained until Hernandez scored on a 5-yard touchdown run with 45 seconds remaining in regulation. It capped a drive kept alive with a pair of big catches by Plombon, including one of 29 yards on 4th-and-15 at the Cathedral 45.

"We saw they had two safeties split and we tried to use that to our advantage by sending our tall guy down the middle," said Young of the 6-foot-7 Plombon. "Fortunately, it worked out."

That brought on overtime and it took Cathedral just two plays to score on a 2-yard run by Young and take a 28-21 lead. Foley answered with a 1-yard touchdown run by senior Braxton Dumonceaux and head coach Dave Dahlstrom elected to go for the two-point conversion and the win.

But junior Simon Bryce's pass was knocked away in the end zone and the celebration was on for the Crusaders.

"We were on the road and the momentum had kind of swung their way," Dahlstron said. "So we wanted to go for the win right there. I thought we had the right thing called. They just made a great play. You have to give them credit."

And a victory for the first time in almost two years.

"It's great for these kids," Chamernick said. "They've worked hard over the summer. They came so close against Holy Family, and again last week at Albany. So it was really nice to get over the top tonight."